In 2016, Cinema23 organized Semana Fénix (Fénix Week) for the first time: a series of film screenings, forums, and academic activities held in conjunction with the Iberoamerican Fénix Film Awards, aimed at sparking debate and reflection on the field of cinema. This notebook is the result of a conversation between actors and actresses nominated for the Fénix Film Awards, in which they shared ideas and perspectives about the acting profession. Actors Juana Acosta, Sonia Braga, Alfredo Castro, Luis Gnecco, as well as the esteemed Marisa Paredes, as invited public in these activities, participated in the conversation, which was moderated by Mexican actress Karina Gidi.

KARINA GIDI
The contemplation of acting and the actor’s work in cinema is an activity I find exciting and enriching—not only due to the intimate and mysterious nature of every creative process, but also because of the chance to witness the empowerment of Iberoamerican film in recent years. When I was invited to moderate a gathering of actors such as Sonia Braga, Luis Gnecco, Alfredo Castro, and Juana Acosta, I started to imagine the possible forms of provocation I’d have to employ toward enabling a fruitful exchange of knowledge and experience. I wrote a long, calculated list of questions that might trigger rich and interesting conversations. Ultimately, I didn’t need to work so hard: over the course of our conversation, which went on for an hour and change, the four actors showed the openness, generosity, and charisma necessary to maintain our interest and illuminate the exploration of their work on set, their relationships with directors, their methods for choosing characters, or their gentle reconciliation with typecasting. They spoke from an honest place, without movie-star pretensions. There were many discoveries!